Sod-cutter.



PATENTBD NOV. a, 1903. J. M. HARLAN. son CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB.12. 1903.

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JOSEPH MARSHALL HARLAN, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SOD-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,277, dated November3, 1903.

Application filed February 12, 1903- Serial No, 143,022. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MARSHALL HARLAN, a citizen of the-UnitedStates, and a resident of Ardmore, in the countyof Mont: gomery andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Sod-0utter, of

. which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for cuttinggrass-sod, the object being to provide a sod-cutter of simpleconstruction, designed to be drawn by a draft animal or animals, and bymeans of which the sod may be rapidly and evenly cut.

I will describe a sod-cutter embodying my invention and then point outthe novel fea tures in theappended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sod-cut- Fig. 2 is a plan Viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation,and Fig. 4 is a section on the linea" 00 of Fig. 2.

The main frame of the machine comprises side rails 1, connected at thefront bya plate 2, and connected near the rear by a cross-bar 3.Arranged in the forward portion of the main frame is a roller 4, on theends of which are annular cuttingblades 5, designed to form thelongitudinal cuts through the sod. Also connected to the roller andextended lengthwise thereof between the annular cutters is a blade 6 forforming the transverse cuts. At the rear portion of the frame is aplate-like blade 7 for undercutting the sod. On the rear portion of theframe is a drivers seat 8, and at the front end is asteeringwheel 9. Theshank of this steering-wheel 9 passes up through the plate 2, and atillerbar 10 extends rearward therefrom sufficiently far to permit thedriver to operate the tillerbar for steering the machine by his feet.

, Having bearings on the main frame near the rear portion is an axle 11,having crank portions 12, on the spindles of which are thebearing-wheels 13. Having bearings on the main frame forward of the axleis a crankshaft 14. Extended along the sides of the mainframe are sidebars 15, the rear ends of which connect with the spindles of the axle11, and the crank portions of the crank-shaft 14 also engage pivotallywith said bars. The front ends of the side bars 15 are inclined upwardand are designed to be connected by a draft-bar 16, to which one or moreanimals may be attached. Attached to the side bars 15 are brackets 17,in which the pintles of rollers 1.8 are arranged to rotate and to movevertically. A lever 19 is connected to the axle 11 and moves betweenguides 20, these guides being provided with holes for receiving a pin orpins to hold the lever 19 in adjusted position. By operating said lever19 the cranks of the axle l1 and the cranks of the crank-shaft 14 willbe moved so as to lift the main frame, whereby the depth of out of thecutting devices may be regulated, or the cutting devices may be raisedwholly above the ground when it is desired to move the machine from onefield to another or along a road.

The operation of the machine is as follows: When moved along, theannular cutters 15 will form the longitudinalcuts, and then the blade 6will go into operation to form the transverse cuts, after which theunder cuts will be made by the blade 7, and thus the sod will becompletely separated or released from the ground, and obviously theseries of sods will be all of the same dimensions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A sod-cutter comprising a frame, wheels supportingthe frame, annular cutters arranged in the frame, a cutter extendedlengthwise between the annular cutters, an under cutter carried by theframe rearward of the first-named cutters and means for simultaneouslyraising all of the cutters above the ground-surface.

2. A sod-cutter comprising a vertically-adjustable frame, wheels onwhich the frame is mounted, annular cutters arranged in the frame, acutter extended lengthwise between the annular cutters,an under cuttercarried by the frame rearward of the first-named cutters and means forelevating the frame to simultaneously adjust the several cuttersvertically. V

3. A sod-cutter comprising a main frame, a crank-shaft having bearingson the main frame, a crank-axle, wheels on said axle, side barsconnecting with the cranks of the shaft and with the spindles of theaxle, a lever extended from the axle, wheels carried by said side bars,and cutters carried in the main frame.

4. A sod-cutter comprising a main frame, a crankshaft having bearings onthe main frame, a crank-axle, wheels on said axle, side bars connectingwith the cranks of the shaft and with the spindles of the axle, a leverextended from the axle, Wheels carried by said side bars, cutterscarried in the main frame, a steering-wheel at the front end of the mainframe, and a tiller extended rearward from said steering-wheel.

5. A sod-cutter comprising aframe, a crank- JOSEPH MARSHALL HARLAN.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. PARKER, A. E. HOUSER.

